Video campaign targets disposable plastics

Published 10/27 2010 08:56AM

Updated 03/21 2015 06:29AM

From Green Right Now Reports

A new video campaign that encourages people to refuse disposable plastics has launched on YouTube. The initiative aims to get people to sign on to Plastic Pollution Coalition’s REFUSE pledge to REFUSE disposable plastics like bags, water bottles, straws, plastic utensils, and other items.

The Plastic Pollution Coalition is aiming for one million signatories by Saturday, Nov. 6, when the TEDxGreatPacificGarbagePatch event will be held at Santa Monica’s Annenberg Community Beach House. Plastic Pollution Coalition is encouraging people to make their own videos and share them online to help seed the end to use of disposable plastics..

TEDxGreatPacificGarbagePatch is a one-day event that will bring together global thought leaders from the fields of technology, science, arts and entertainment, design, community activism, and business in a dialog on the theme of “The Global Plastic Pollution Crisis.”

In the past few years, the world has become aware of the Garbage Patch in the Pacific Ocean, a gyre of trash estimated to be at a minimum the size of the state of Texas and possibly as large at the United States. 90% of this trash patch is comprised of plastic. Similar areas of plastic pollution exist throughout the world – in all the world’s oceans, in seemingly unlikely places such as the Arabian Desert, along some of the most pristine beaches of the world, in cities and rivers, and even within our bodies.

The TEDxGreatPacificGarbagePatch event, which will be streamed live, will feature experts, youth leaders, visual and performing artists, actors, musicians, politicians and others as they share observations on how plastic pollution affects ocean/environmental health and public health. The event also will explore solutions for reducing our plastic footprint, and begin to develop ideas about eliminating plastic pollution through individual action as well as public- and private-sector innovation.

In a commitment to keep a low carbon footprint, and to encourage and empower global engagement and action, this important event will be streamed live to locations around the world. Contact the Plastic Pollution Coalition if you are interested in organizing a virtual event. Locations will be listed on the website as they are added. A live webcast of the event will be available on the day of the event through the website.